Cam Boxes Question

[RRoller123]

This is likely a silly question, but I am having the devil of a time getting the cam gears off of the cam boxes/cams. My manual has almost no info at all on the cam boxes. I am assuming the cam gear mounting bolts are standard CCW loosen, CW tighten? They won't budge, even with a chain wrench and extender. Going to a professional shop shortly to get these damned things off. Very frustrating.

Another question: How do you set the camshaft endplay? I notice after removing the rear retaining cap that the cams can move back and forth quite a bit, like 0.25" or so.

Am I also safe in assuming that I can reuse the cam box mounting bolts? (With a new gasket obviously)

Here are some pics of where I am.

[RoyBatty]

Someone may have used a strong loctite on those cam great bolts.
You might need to very carefully apply some heat to the bolts before trying to break then loose.
I say VERY CAREFULLY, as your cam gears might be made of plastic.
Also, be ready to purchase a few valve shims. You will probably find that your valve clearances change as a result of removing and reinstalling the cam housings to/from the head.

[RRoller123]

Thanks,, that is a good idea! The gears are metal, but I am wondering about the risk of warping the boxes, especially if they get put into a vice for leverage, and since they are aluminum. Is warping a legitimate concern with these things? Are they basically pretty delicate?

[spider2081]

Are you using a good 1/2 drive impact wrench while holding the cam gear with chain wrench???

[RRoller123]

Not yet. I need my son or someone else to hold one or the other. It is like herding a cat to do this alone. So far I have put it in the vice, and it literally tips over my steel workbench or rips out of the vice it is on there so tightly. My next step is the chain wrench with a 3ft extension bar in my son's control, and me on the 19mm socket wrench with a 3ft extension bar, and some heat if needed. If that doesn't work, I will borrow a friends impact wrench or take the boxes out to a machine shop. What a ridiculous pita.

But it is actually kinda fun, doing this stuff for the first time, even when it is a pita. The second time around will seem like a piece of cake.

I still have no idea how the cams come out, or how you set the cam end free play, but once I get the cam gears off, maybe it will be self apparent.

Pete

[131]

I still have no idea how the cams come out, or how you set the cam end free play, but once I get the cam gears off, maybe it will be self apparent.

Pete

Once the gears are removed, the cam slides out the back of the cambox. The cam endfloat is controlled by the rear plate, if you have a look at the plate you'll notice some rub marks on it from the rotating cam. If you want to reduce your endfloat, use a thinner gasket, it's not a big issue though.

[RRoller123]

Excellent! Thanks for the info. For some reason my factory manual is almost completely void of info on the cam boxes. My other manuals are locked in the trunk at the shop where the FW is being installed, so I fly blind over the weekend. Which is pretty much my normal state of affairs.

Lastly, I assume there is no reason not to reuse the cam box bolts? The torque setting is quite low as I remember, like 12 or something around there.

[131]

Lastly, I assume there is no reason not to reuse the cam box bolts?

No reason at all, unless the threads are damaged or stretched, they're usually OK.

[RRoller123]

Thanks, that is what I thought.

[RRoller123]

Well, the 3 foot iron pipe breaker bars on a chain wrench and socket wrench did it, after soaking with PB Blaster overnight. Took quite a pull from both of us, but it finally released.

[RRoller123]

More questions for the assembled masses here:

So I have the Cam Boxes disassembled and cleaned. Did a pre clean with Simple Green, hot water, a bucket and brush that got most of the crud off, then had my local machine shop clean them in a cold tank, water based solvent. They cleaned up really well.

So the question now is: What do you guys do to polish out the flashing and awful casting irregularities on the Cam Boxes and covers. I have access to a blast cabinet, but I worry about damaging the mating surfaces and seal surfaces. I suppose I could assemble the covers onto the boxes and blast them from the top down so that the Head mating surface doesn't get hit? Wire Brush in a drill press maybe is best? Just wondering what you folks have done.

I am planning to paint them in Red Krinkle hi-temp engine paint from VHT, for that poor man's Ferrari look.

Clean!



Clean again!



Casting Flash, with sharp points, how to get it off?:



Typical Corrosion, how to polish it best?:



Thanks for any advice.

Pete

[divace73]

i used a soda blast setup to clean the outside, came up clean. For the other maybe a wire wheel, then some sand paper.
Taking the utmost care not to damage any mating surface parts.
This is what my cam box looked like after a clean and paint with that wrinkle paint, red of course for those extra kiloWatts

[RRoller123]

Perfect! That is exactly what I am going for. The only problem is that the blast chamber I have access to is slag charged, versus soda, buy I guess if I preassemble the pieces, and maybe lower the air pressure a bit, it will be ok.

Fantastic job on those Cam Boxes, they look great! Did you do it with rattle can etching primer and rattle can crinkle paint? (I am planning on using both from VHT).

[divace73]

Perfect! That is exactly what I am going for. The only problem is that the blast chamber I have access to is slag charged, versus soda, buy I guess if I preassemble the pieces, and maybe lower the air pressure a bit, it will be ok.

Fantastic job on those Cam Boxes, they look great! Did you do it with rattle can etching primer and rattle can crinkle paint? (I am planning on using both from VHT).

I didn't use the etch primer but I think that I should have, it was the VHT red paint that I used only. Time will tell.